Real Good Juice Co. brings healthy eats and drinks to Bucktown

We’ve heard all about how millennials and their avocado toast are ruining the economy, but that’s not the case for the avocado toast-slinging owners of Chicago-grown Real Good Juice Co.

After spending 10 years working as a derivative strategist for a hedge fund, Jon Schiff decided it was time to make a change.

“I wasn’t very passionate and there wasn’t much purpose in it,” Schiff said. “I wanted to work with people with purpose and I wanted to create something.”

On a Monday, Schiff quit his job. The following Wednesday, he was volunteering on a local farm.

It was there that the idea to start a juice bar came to him. Alongside Leo Burnett creative directors, Gordy Sang and Brian Siedband, Schiff began crafting the groundwork for what would become Real Good Juice Co.—a local juice and smoothie spot with all locally-sourced ingredients.

Handout

Real Good Juice Co.'s avocado toast

Real Good Juice Co.'s avocado toast (Handout)

“Locally-sourcing was very important to us,” Schiff said. “It’s better for us, better for you, to buy products that don’t have to travel far and goes directly into our bottles.”

But the burgeoning idea was just the start of a longer journey—Schiff had limited knowledge of opening a restaurant.

The trio opened their first spot in 2014 in Old Town (1647 N. Wells St.) after Schiff noticed the neighborhood offered many ways for the community to be active, but not so many options to healthfully fuel them.

“There weren’t many truly healthy sources for food options and I saw the space and thought it would be a perfect fit,” Schiff said.

The three secured a space—a gamble that the real estate agent took on them with their limited (read: no) experience in the restaurant business—and set to work on opening their first location.

Within the year, Real Good Juice Co. secured a partnership with Whole Foods, where they quickly grew from one standalone operation to also include nine locations inside the high-end grocery chain. Their second standalone location opened on the Southport Corridor (3548 N. Southport Ave.) in 2016. Their exponential growth, said Schiff, comes from the integrity of their product.

“We work with farmers to allocate ingredients just for us. We’re juicing an acre of locally-sourced kale a week; we’re the largest buyer of locally-sourced apples,” Schiff said. “The integrity of where we’re buying and why we’re buying really resonates with our customers.”

Now, their sights are set on Bucktown, where they’re set to open their third standalone location at 1616 N. Damen Ave. on Sunday, Aug. 13.

To celebrate, the store will give away five-ounce juices to guests in line, as well as offer 50 percent off their aforementioned toasts from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; 50-percent off smoothies from 1 to 3 p.m.; and $2 off juices and $1 off juice shots from 5 to 7 p.m. Raffles for products from Bucketfeet, Lululemon, Marine Layer and Nike will also be on hand.